by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

I make a quick stop by Kfar Chabad, the villiage of Chabad Lubavitch chassidim near Lod in Israel.  I was looking for some new full size siddurim (prayer books), as I noticed the print in my old pocket size siddur was getting fuzzy.  I’m not sure if this is because the ink on the tiny print is smearing with age (unlikely) or my eyes are being affected by some minor normal age related farsightedness (likely, but my ego prefers to think it’s an ink problem).

While there I snapped a couple of quick pictures…

770 Kfar Chabad is a replica of Chabad World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY.  While it’s a faithful replica, it’s unfortunately not really used.  The downstairs has the Chabad publications distribution center (wholesale prices!), but the rest of the building is only lightly used.  However, the style certainly makes it stand out in Israel.

Kfar Chabad sits on a slight hill overlooking Tel Aviv.  While it started as a rural village, a number of townhouse projects have been added.  This picture combines a view of the townhouses and Tel Aviv in the distance (to the left, Yehud is to the right, I think).

Kfar Chabad has an interesting mix of greenery, orchards (esrogim and orange), yeshivas and suburban style neighborhoods.  With the good rains Israel has been having, the greenery was really popping.

It was a beautiful day for a visit to a sleepy chassidic village.